Device for opening carton closure flaps



L. H- TO BEY 'DEVICE FOR OPENING CARTON CLOSURE FLAPS Filed Dec. 18, 1957 Feb. 3, 1959 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 ass-+ FIG.2

I INVENTOR LEON H. TOBEY' his qhorneys.

Feb. 3, 1959 L. H. TOBEY 2,371,641

DEVICE FOR OPENING CARTON CLOSURE! FLAPS I Filed Dec 18. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LEON H. TOB EY Maw his attorneys.

United States Parent@ 2,871,641 DEVICE FOR OPENING CARTON CLOSURE' FLAPS Leon H. Tobey, Newark, N. Y., assignor to Bloomer gm?- Company, Newark, N. Y., a corporation of New or Application December 18, 1957, Serial No. 703,601 3 Claims. 01. ss-ssz Thisinvention relates to carton opening means and, more particularly, to devices for opening the folding closure flaps of paperboard cartons. Such cartons are commonly manufactured in collapsed condition for storage and shipment, with one end open for filling with the contents and provided with folding flaps for closing the same after filling. As the cartons are commonly erected for filling, the closure flaps lie in the planes of the carton side walls to which they are respectively attached and extend above the open end of the carton. In the case of cartons for holding fluid or semi-fluid contents, such as ice cream and similar comestibles, such contents are commonly supplied to the cartons from a nozzle and the carton flaps, unless folded back and down below the plane of the carton opening, interfere with the application of the carton opening to the nozzle. One object of the invention is to provide simple and efiicient means for rapidly folding the flaps outwardly and back toward the side walls so that the open carton top can be presented directly and closely to the nozzle for quickly, completely and cleanly filling the carton without spillage.

Sanitary regulations commonly prohibit manual contact with the inner surfaces of food containers and another object is to provide means having the above advantages and operating to fold the carton flaps as described without any handling of the flaps in the filling of the carton and so that the flaps may be subsequently closed and secured over the contents without contact of the hands with the inner flap surfaces which vcome in contact with the food contents.

Still another object is to supply a device of the above character having a minimum of parts and capable of being readily and economically manufactured and installed for use. I

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1. is a side elevation of a device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the outer end of the carton receiving portion of the device as viewed from the right in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of parts shown in Fig. 1 and of a carton as initially applied thereto, partly in section and partly broken away, and

Fig. 4 is an elevation similar to Fig. 3 but showing the carton fully applied and folded.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, herein disclosed by way of illustration, comprises a suitable support for the carton receiving and flap folding means such, for example, as a clamp 10.formed with a jaw 12 and a cooperating threaded spindle 14 adapted to be turned by hand for securing the clamp to a table or other portion of a machine or work bench, as further referred to hereafter. The clamp is formed with an opening or ICE bore 16 slidably receiving a rod 18 and provided with a set screw 20 for securing the rod in longitudinally adjusted position in the clamp. The upper end of the rod is turned at an angle and provided with a threaded portion for reception in an opening in one end of a carton receiving guide means or body 22. Thus body 22 is provided, for example, with a member 24 having a threaded socket for reception of the end of rod 18 which is secured to the body by a lock nut 26.

Body 22 is adapted for the telescopic reception over its outer or free end of the open end of the carton 28 to be folded. Folding paperboard cartons for ice cream or other frozen comestibles or foods are commonly erected with one end open and provided with flaps adapted to be folded and secured in position to close the carton. In such erected and open condition, the closure flaps are usually positioned in extension of and parallel with the carton side walls to which they are foldably connected, respectively, and the purpose of the present invention is to fold these flaps outwardly and downwardly to a position below the plane of the carton opening to clear the opening for filling at a nozzle for dispensing the contents as hereafter described.

and backwardly as the carton is fully engaged with the body. Each member 30 is preferably in the form of a plate of metal or other relatively stiff material formed at one end with a transversely extending, substantially cylindrical shape, as at 32, and having a flat end portion 34 secured to the body side wall as by screws 36. The free end of the cylindrical portion 32 extends adjacent the end portion 34 on the body side wall, but with sufficient spacing and sufiicient resilience to permit limited entry between them of the carton side wall and flap, so as to form a throat 38 in which the inward movement of the carton wall is arrested and the flap is folded backwardly toward the carton side wall.

Fixed on the body side wall outwardly from each member 30 is a spring finger or element 40 having a base portion 42 secured to the bodywall as by screws 44.

The other or free end of the finger extends outwardly from the body wall at an: inclination generally tangent to the outer portion 32 of member 30 and somewhat spaced from the member, as shown. Fingers 40 are made of metal or other material which is resilient and more flexible than the material of members 30, so as to deflect the carton flaps outwardly, but to yield and be pressed downwardly by the engagement therewith of the stiffer carton side walls, to permit the latter to be pressed into the said throats 38.

In the use of the device, the open end of the carton, with its flaps extended as described, is engaged over the outer end of the body 22 and advanced telescopically over the same, with the result that the carton flaps are first de-- fiected outwardly by spring fingers 40 so as to pass out wardly of the portions 32 of members 30. The advancing carton side walls, however, depress spring fingers 40 and move into the throats 38, carrying with them the foldably' connected flaps, so that the latter are further folded back by the curved perimeters of members 30. The flaps are thus folded backwardly with sufficient firmness to impart 3 to them a set which is substantially retained on removal of the carton, so that the flaps remain somewhat spaced from the carton side walls, but at least below the plane of the carton opening, to clear the same for filling with the intended contents.

Such cartons are commonly filled by application of their open ends to a filling nozzle through which fiuid or semifluid material is discharged into the carton and, with the flaps folded backwardly as described, the carton opening is conditioned for application directly and closely to a filling nozzle to supply the contents cleanly into the carton and so that the edge of the carton opening may be then wiped across the nozzle outlet to clear the same of any dripping or excess extrusion and thus prevent spillage of the material. 7

The opening and filling of the carton flaps as described is accomplished by holding the carton merely at its bottom and without any contact of the hands with the closure flaps. After filling, the flaps remain projecting at a sufficient angle from the carton side walls so that they may be readily raised by engagement with their outer surfaces, by hand or by known closing machines, to overlap and close the carton opening and in secured or interlocked relation, thus avoiding contact of the hands with the inner surfaces of the flaps which are brought into proximity with the contents when the carton is closed. This result insures efiective conformity with the sanitary regulations commonly applied to prevent contamination of the inner surfaces of the carton by contact with the operators hands.

While the device has been described above in connection with one form of supporting means, it is contemplated that it may be otherwise supported, as by suitable supporting attachment to a portion of a carton erecting machine such as disclosed, for example, in the patent to L. H. Tobey, No. 2,759,401, in place of the means there shown for feeding the erected carton and opening its flaps.

The invention thus provides a simple and effective means for rapidly folding the carton flaps out and backwardly toward the side walls, so that the carton can be presented directly and closely to the nozzle or other source of supply for quickly, completely and cleanly filling the carton without spillage of the material. Furthermore, the invention insures compliance with the known sanitary requirement of opening and filling of the carton without contact of the hands with the inner carton surfaces which come in contact with the contents. The invention also provides a device having the above advantages, with a minimum of moving parts and in a construction capable of being readily and economically manufactured and maintained in serviceable condition.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects and while it has been herein disclosed by reference to the details of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it is contemplated that various modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for folding outwardly the closure flaps foldably connected with the side walls of a paperboard carton, for folding said flaps from a position in extension of and parallel with said side walls to a position ex tending outwardly below the plane of the carton opening to clear said opening for filling, a support, means on said support for engaging and'guiding the carton side walls during movement thereof relative to said guide means, yieldable elements on said guide means inclined outwardly in the direction of movement of the carton for engaging said flaps during the cartonmovement and folding said flaps to positions inclined outwardly from the carton side walls and members on said guide means between which and said guide means said carton side walls and their respective flaps are pressed in the further movement of the carton, for the further folding of said flaps into proximity with said side walls, said elements being yieldable for depression by said carton side walls in the movement of said walls betweenrsaid members and guide means.

2. In a device for folding outwardly the closure flaps foldably connected with the side walls of a paperboard carton, for folding said flaps from a position in extension of and parallel with said side walls to a position extending outwardly below the plane of the carton opening to clear said opening for filling, a support, a form body on said support shaped to fit Within and guide the carton side walls during telescoping movement of the carton over said body, yieldable elements on said body inclined outwardly in the direction of movement of the carton for engaging said flaps during the carton movement and folding the flaps to positions inclined outwardly from the carton side walls and members on said body between which and said body said carton side walls and their respective flaps are pressed in the furthermovement of the carton, for the further folding of said flaps into proximity with said side walls, said elements being yieldable-for depression by said carton side walls in the movement of said walls between said members and body.

3. In a device for folding outwardly the closure flaps foldably connected with the side walls of a paperboard carton, for folding said flaps from a position in extension of and parallel with said side walls to a position extend ing outwardly below the plane of the carton opening to clear said opening for filling, a support, a form body on said support shaped to fit within and guide the carton side walls during telescoping movement of the carton over said body, spring fingers on said body inclined outwardly in the direction of movement of the carton for engaging said flaps during the carton movement and folding the flaps to positions inclined obliquely outwardly from the carton side walls and members on said body shaped to form throats to receive said car ton side walls and their respective flaps in the further movement of the carton to press said flaps and walls together and further fold said flaps into proximity with said side walls, said fingers being yieldable for depression by said carton side walls in the movement of said walls into said throats. 7

(No references cited.) 

